Well it’s New Year’s Eve and we’re feeling in a reflective mood here at Mum’s the Word.

What a year 2016 has been… one perhaps that will go down in the history books as an “annus horribilis” filled with doubt, worry, confusion and some tears. However it's important to look for the positives. Don't get us wrong it hasn't all been plain sailing but one HUGE highlight for us this year has been the launch of Mum’s the Word.

This time last year we knew we wanted to create something together – using skills from our PR and Events Management backgrounds, but something that also reflected our new shared experiences of motherhood… but what!?

In January we decided we’d meet one evening, every week to start brainstorming (insert thinking whilst drinking wine!) and on 13th January the idea came to us to create an events company that specialised in creating inspiring meet ups and live events for families and Mamas… I know it was this date as I sent Natalie a little quote from JK Rowling which says “Anything’s possible, if you’ve got enough nerve.”

It’s a quote that has proved to be hugely truthful as between January and April (when we officially launched) we lost our nerve on so many occasions – was this a good idea, did Mums want these kind of events, what if no one bought tickets, what would our friends think, what would everyone think, what if it failed????

Despite all these niggly self-doubts (luckily one of us always reassured the other one – if we don’t sell any tickets we’ll just forget it and stick to the day job – at least we will have tried) we stuck to our goals and met one evening every week, juggled work, meetings and of course children (baby Ray came to every meeting and we’re still convinced his first words will be – “does this fit with our brand” !!!) and gradually things started to come together. We met people who believed what we were doing was a good idea (you know who you are) and agreed to come on board to collaborate or work together on aspects – this encouragement was worth its weight in gold.

So when we launched at the end of April, we believed that our idea had legs but we were beyond nervous (when you launch a new business, especially on social media you really feel like you are putting yourself out there, for criticism) but as the saying goes… we felt the fear AND did it anyway! And we are VERY glad we did!

The best thing about this year has not only been the brilliant reaction we’ve had to our events (beyond our wildest dreams – thank you all so much) but also the women/mamas we have met along the way – our speakers, bloggers, panel members and all the amazing Mums that have come along to our events…It’s been fantastic to make a new group of friends this year and hopefully there’s a lot more mums out there to meet in 2017.

So here we are on the cusp of 2017 and who knows what the year will bring… we have lots of exciting plans and goals that we hope to turn into reality, so watch this space and Happy New Year – thank you again for all for your support and helping make our dream become a reality.

L & N xxx

What do you want to achieve in 2017 – what are your intentions for the year? As we found out last year goal setting is a really great way to focus your mind on what you want to achieve for the year ahead. At the end of January we will be hosting a #MamasMeetUps all about goal setting – how to overcome feelings of being confused/overwhelmed and get focused on what you really want to get out of 2017. It will be the perfect way to kick start your 2017 – keep your eyes peeled for more information next week.